202 reviews! I never thought I would get there!
Disclaimer: I DO NOT own the Outsiders.
I'll put Twobit's POV in here somewhere because I just looked through my chapters, and he hasn't been in here since chapter 21.
Soda's POV
As Darry answered the phone when the hospital called, I couldn't stop worrying. What if they said the leukemia was back? What would we do then? I pushed my worries aside and sat down on the couch trying to relax.
"It's up again?" Darry was saying. "Well, what do we do?" He listened for a moment. "Okay, we'll bring him in tomorrow." He hung up the phone and turned to look at me, Twobit, and Steve.
"What did they say?" I asked.
"Pony's white blood count is up again. Either it's just an infection or the cancer has come back. We have to take him back to the hospital tomorrow and get a bone marrow aspiration to see if it is leukemia. If it's not, we'll give him medicine for whatever it is he has." Darry said.
"What if it is?" Twobit spoke the question that was on my mind.
"I don't know. We just have to see."
"This can't be happening. How are we going to tell Pony?" I said.
"When he wakes up, we'll just tell him what's going on. We don't know anything for sure right now." Darry said.
He was being awfully calm. I couldn't understand how. I wasn't going to be calm unless we found out for sure that this was only a simple infection.
"What kind of infection could it be?" Steve asked.
"It could be a cold, mono, any number of things." Darry answered.
I left to go sit outside on the porch. I needed time to think and relax. I couldn't do that with everyone around. A few minutes later, I heard the door open, and Steve sat down beside me.
"What are you doing, Soda? He asked.
"I'm just sitting here. I don't know what else to do." I said.
"Ever thought about sleeping?"
"I don't think I can sleep."
"Come on, buddy. It will be okay. Don't worry. It's probably just an infection."
"I can't help worrying. It's become my 24 hour job."
I got up and as I started to go inside, I looked back at Steve.
"I sure hope you're right. We can't take anymore bad news." I said.
Twobit's POV
Soda came back inside with Steve right behind him. I knew Soda must have been worried out of his mind. Pony had been through more than enough for a kid his age. I wasn't sure if anyone else noticed, but I thought Darry was acting very calm. It was probably just an act, so he could stay strong for Soda and Pony's sake. I couldn't help hoping that Pony wouldn't wake up until morning. At least he wouldn't be up all night scared or worried about what might happen tomorrow. He probably wouldn't have any nightmares either. I doubted that Soda and Darry would sleep. I knew I couldn't if my little brother might be facing a cancer relapse. I thought about that for a few minutes, wondering if any of us would really sleep that night. While I was lost in my thoughts, Pony walked into the living room. He looked around at all of us and instantly knew that something was wrong.
Darry's POV
I sighed when Pony walked in and told him to sit down because we needed to talk.
"Darry, what's wrong?" He asked.
By the look on his face, I already knew that he had a pretty good idea of what was going on. It had to be the first thing that came to his mind.
"The hospital called, and they said that your white blood count is up again." I said.
"Is it back? Just tell me if the cancer is back." Pony said.
"We don't know, little buddy. You have to go to the hospital tomorrow and get a bone marrow aspiration to see if the cells are leukemic. It could be just an infection though. That's what we have to hope for."
Soda sat down next to Pony and put his arm around him.
"How are you feeling?" He asked.
"I'm feeling okay. My throat's just a little sore."
I was trying to stay calm, but he was having so many of the same symptoms. The bruises, the paleness, and now a sore throat were all what he had before. These could all be caused by other things, but this looked bad. I looked at Pony and saw tears sliding down his cheeks. That made me want to cry, but I wasn't going to. At least not right now.
Later that night as I lay in bed trying to sleep, I finally allowed myself to cry. I cried for Pony and for what might be happening. It wasn't doing any good for me to be there, so I went to my brothers' room and stood in the doorway. They were both sleeping but not peacefully. I was sure it had taken them awhile to get to sleep too. I hoped Pony wouldn't have a nightmare tonight. I was still standing there when Soda woke up and saw me.
"What are you doing in here, Darry?" He whispered.
"I just couldn't sleep." I said.
"Why don't you stay in here with us?" He said as he moved closer to Pony to make room for me.
I grinned and lay down next to my brothers. I definitely felt better when I was with them. It gave me reassurance that together we could get through anything.
Pony's POV
We got up the next morning and headed to the hospital, so I could get this test over with. Steve and Twobit must have left some time last night because they weren't there. When we got to the hospital, we waited for about an hour, and then I finally got in to get the bone marrow aspiration. Those things really hurt, but at least they don't take long. I only got a local anesthetic to numb the area that they put the needle in to draw the marrow out. After it was over, I went back to where my brothers were. The doctors had said that we could go home and wait to get the results, so that's what we did. Steve and Twobit came back over, and we all watched TV or played cards to keep our minds occupied. I don't think that was working very well. At least it wasn't working very well on me.
Steve's POV
I couldn't stand the atmosphere in the Curtis house. No one was happy. We were all worried sick. I hoped the hospital would call soon. At least that would make all the uncertainty go away, and we would know exactly what was going on. There was so much tension in the house that you could've cut it with a knife. Pony seemed to be okay, considering what must have been running through his mind, but I could tell he was scared. Who wouldn't be? Being diagnosed with cancer at all was horrible, but having it come back was even worse. None of us deserved to have to deal with this, but especially not Pony. He was the youngest, yet he had been through the most. I think he was the strongest too.
Disclaimer: I DO NOT own the Outsiders.
I'll put Twobit's POV in here somewhere because I just looked through my chapters, and he hasn't been in here since chapter 21.
Soda's POV
As Darry answered the phone when the hospital called, I couldn't stop worrying. What if they said the leukemia was back? What would we do then? I pushed my worries aside and sat down on the couch trying to relax.
"It's up again?" Darry was saying. "Well, what do we do?" He listened for a moment. "Okay, we'll bring him in tomorrow." He hung up the phone and turned to look at me, Twobit, and Steve.
"What did they say?" I asked.
"Pony's white blood count is up again. Either it's just an infection or the cancer has come back. We have to take him back to the hospital tomorrow and get a bone marrow aspiration to see if it is leukemia. If it's not, we'll give him medicine for whatever it is he has." Darry said.
"What if it is?" Twobit spoke the question that was on my mind.
"I don't know. We just have to see."
"This can't be happening. How are we going to tell Pony?" I said.
"When he wakes up, we'll just tell him what's going on. We don't know anything for sure right now." Darry said.
He was being awfully calm. I couldn't understand how. I wasn't going to be calm unless we found out for sure that this was only a simple infection.
"What kind of infection could it be?" Steve asked.
"It could be a cold, mono, any number of things." Darry answered.
I left to go sit outside on the porch. I needed time to think and relax. I couldn't do that with everyone around. A few minutes later, I heard the door open, and Steve sat down beside me.
"What are you doing, Soda? He asked.
"I'm just sitting here. I don't know what else to do." I said.
"Ever thought about sleeping?"
"I don't think I can sleep."
"Come on, buddy. It will be okay. Don't worry. It's probably just an infection."
"I can't help worrying. It's become my 24 hour job."
I got up and as I started to go inside, I looked back at Steve.
"I sure hope you're right. We can't take anymore bad news." I said.
Twobit's POV
Soda came back inside with Steve right behind him. I knew Soda must have been worried out of his mind. Pony had been through more than enough for a kid his age. I wasn't sure if anyone else noticed, but I thought Darry was acting very calm. It was probably just an act, so he could stay strong for Soda and Pony's sake. I couldn't help hoping that Pony wouldn't wake up until morning. At least he wouldn't be up all night scared or worried about what might happen tomorrow. He probably wouldn't have any nightmares either. I doubted that Soda and Darry would sleep. I knew I couldn't if my little brother might be facing a cancer relapse. I thought about that for a few minutes, wondering if any of us would really sleep that night. While I was lost in my thoughts, Pony walked into the living room. He looked around at all of us and instantly knew that something was wrong.
Darry's POV
I sighed when Pony walked in and told him to sit down because we needed to talk.
"Darry, what's wrong?" He asked.
By the look on his face, I already knew that he had a pretty good idea of what was going on. It had to be the first thing that came to his mind.
"The hospital called, and they said that your white blood count is up again." I said.
"Is it back? Just tell me if the cancer is back." Pony said.
"We don't know, little buddy. You have to go to the hospital tomorrow and get a bone marrow aspiration to see if the cells are leukemic. It could be just an infection though. That's what we have to hope for."
Soda sat down next to Pony and put his arm around him.
"How are you feeling?" He asked.
"I'm feeling okay. My throat's just a little sore."
I was trying to stay calm, but he was having so many of the same symptoms. The bruises, the paleness, and now a sore throat were all what he had before. These could all be caused by other things, but this looked bad. I looked at Pony and saw tears sliding down his cheeks. That made me want to cry, but I wasn't going to. At least not right now.
Later that night as I lay in bed trying to sleep, I finally allowed myself to cry. I cried for Pony and for what might be happening. It wasn't doing any good for me to be there, so I went to my brothers' room and stood in the doorway. They were both sleeping but not peacefully. I was sure it had taken them awhile to get to sleep too. I hoped Pony wouldn't have a nightmare tonight. I was still standing there when Soda woke up and saw me.
"What are you doing in here, Darry?" He whispered.
"I just couldn't sleep." I said.
"Why don't you stay in here with us?" He said as he moved closer to Pony to make room for me.
I grinned and lay down next to my brothers. I definitely felt better when I was with them. It gave me reassurance that together we could get through anything.
Pony's POV
We got up the next morning and headed to the hospital, so I could get this test over with. Steve and Twobit must have left some time last night because they weren't there. When we got to the hospital, we waited for about an hour, and then I finally got in to get the bone marrow aspiration. Those things really hurt, but at least they don't take long. I only got a local anesthetic to numb the area that they put the needle in to draw the marrow out. After it was over, I went back to where my brothers were. The doctors had said that we could go home and wait to get the results, so that's what we did. Steve and Twobit came back over, and we all watched TV or played cards to keep our minds occupied. I don't think that was working very well. At least it wasn't working very well on me.
Steve's POV
I couldn't stand the atmosphere in the Curtis house. No one was happy. We were all worried sick. I hoped the hospital would call soon. At least that would make all the uncertainty go away, and we would know exactly what was going on. There was so much tension in the house that you could've cut it with a knife. Pony seemed to be okay, considering what must have been running through his mind, but I could tell he was scared. Who wouldn't be? Being diagnosed with cancer at all was horrible, but having it come back was even worse. None of us deserved to have to deal with this, but especially not Pony. He was the youngest, yet he had been through the most. I think he was the strongest too.